Amazon are said to be preparing to launch an internet TV set-top box, that will bring it into direct competition with Chromecast, Roku and Apple TV.

Will Amazon be sitting beneath your TV soon?

The new box codenamed ‘Cinnamon’, is said to be a similar size to the palm sized Roku, and would run Amazon apps and the Amazon instand and Prime streaming services. But no news on whether it will also carry rival streaming services such as Netflix, Google Play and Hulu?

A report in the WSJ says that Amazon have been approaching cable, software and media companies about incorporating content and apps onto the new device.

Amazon will of course (like the Kindle) use any box to promote it’s own services and may lock out rivals. It already prevents Kindle users from accessing the full Google Playstore even though the tablet is android based.

One thing is certain though, services such as Amazon Instant and Prime will be heavily pushed on any new hardware. The $79 yearly Amazon Prime membership offers unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and television shows, along with a free shipping on many items.

Amazon Instant is a pay-as-you-view service for buying or renting movies and shows. Amazon already offer both these services on a number of devices including smart TV’s, set-top boxes, computers and mobile devices.

It is said that a dedicated remote may be available, but more likely the box will be able to bled using a phone oret app. Although no release date has been set, it appears that pre-christmas is when we may see the new Cinnamon box. The price is likely to be between $50-$100 based on rival systems.

So will Amazon, who have just confirmed three new TV pilots, compete with the more open Roku and android boxes, or be a closed system like Apple TV. Based on Kindle it will be probably be the latter.